Scuba diving is a growing pastime. During scuba diving, a diver goes underwater and breathes through a breathing unit. While scuba diving, a diver typically wears a jacket with compensating equipment to adjust the effective weight of the diver in the water. This jacket is commonly referred to as “buoyancy compensator” or “BC.” More specifically, the BC includes an inflatable bladder (or other similar device) that is inflatable orally or by a container of compressed gas. To rise up in the water, the bladder is filled with air (thus increasing the buoyancy of the diver). When the diver desires to sink in the water, gas is released from the bladder (thereby decreasing the buoyancy of the diver).
In addition to the BC, weights are often used as a means of allowing the diver to sink in the water (or stay submerged at a specific depth). The weights are often disposed in pockets of the BC. In general, the weights are positioned in a “weight pouch.” In turn, this weight pouch will be secured within a BC's weight pocket. A diver must be able to release the diving weights quickly when necessary. In underwater emergencies, it is vital that the weights be released rapidly so that the weights may drop away from the diver (and allow the diver to quickly surface to obtain necessary breathing air).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,761 to Van Tassel (hereinafter “Van Tassel”) provides an example of a “quick release” system that allows weights to be quickly released by the diver in the event of an underwater emergency. (This patent is expressly incorporated herein by reference.) Van Tassel teaches a weight system for a scuba diver which includes a pouch that houses weights. This weight pouch may be attached to the diver's BC. The weight pouch includes a “quick release” buckle on a diver's buoyancy compensator to retain the pouch in a designated pocket. In the event of an emergency, the diver will use the quick release buckle to drop the weight pouch from the BC. In Van Tassel's system, the “prongs” of the buckle that is used to secure the weight pouch may be deformed, thereby allowing the weight pouch to be rapidly released.
Other BC weight systems employ Velcro® flaps as a means of securing a weight pouch within the BC's weight pocket. In these systems, the diver can readily “unhook” the Velcro® and release the weight pouch. However, as the BC is used underwater, the Velcro® tends to lose its holding grip. Accordingly, BCs that use Velcro® flaps are known to wear out over time.
Moreover, some of the known weight systems attach the weight pouch with a buckle. During an emergency, the user must use two hands to unhook the buckle and then drop the weights. Also, if the buckle is positioned in front of the weight pouch, the weight pouch tends to fold over on itself, which causes the weight pouch to fall towards and bunch up near the buckle. This is especially problematic in the swimming position when the buckle is oriented in a downward direction. In this orientation, gravity tends to drop the free end of the weight pouch past the securing buckle. Moreover, diving weights are often small shot-filled bags which tend to change shape to conform to the BC's weight pocket in which they are contained. This makes the weight pouch susceptible to working its way out of the BC's weight pocket, leaving the pouch to hang on to the diver precariously from the weight pouch's attachment point.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a new type of weight system that is used with a BC. Such a device is disclosed herein.